


fine is not a feeling

by icarusinflight



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Minor Hurt, nothing too bad though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 17:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13551828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icarusinflight/pseuds/icarusinflight
Summary: Lance prides himself on noticing things. It’s something he attributes to the fact that he never stops looking. When he’s in a room there’s a million and one things to take in and one thing might take his attention - and often does - but there’s always something else for him to look at. He’s always looking at his surroundings, and he always notices when something is out of place.He’s less good with people though.Which is why he thinks it takes him a while to notice something is wrong with Keith





	fine is not a feeling

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a pinch hit for the [2017 Klance Holiday Exchange](http://klance-exchange.tumblr.com/) for [Astereli](http://astereli.tumblr.com/)  
> Sorry it is so late!
> 
> This was meant to be the hurt/comfort that you wanted, hope you find it fulfils that!

Lance prides himself on noticing things. It’s something he attributes to the fact that he never stops  _ looking _ . When he’s in a room there’s a million and one things to take in and one thing might take his attention - and often does - but there’s always something  _ else _ for him to look at. He’s always looking at his surroundings, and he always notices when something is out of place.

He’s less good with people though.

Which is one of the reasons he would give - if anyone asked - for why it took him so long to notice.

The other being that Keith is sneaky as fuck.

He knows Keith doesn’t do it to be sneaky - it’s just a part of him. He keeps things inside and where Lance  _ knows _ he sometimes tends to fall over the oversharer side of that line, Keith is so far down the other way - they’re almost complete opposites on the scale. If they were using the Kelvin Scale as a measurement Lance is at boiling point (373°k) and Keith is way down. Maybe not absolute zero though, more like the freezing point of water - a practically balmy 273°k.

Which -  _ fuck _ \- is not the point.

The point is that Keith hides things, or  _ internalises _ them as Shiro likes to put it - and Shiro might have an internal Keith bullshit detector, but Lance doesn’t. He’s getting better at it. He can tell the look which is a  _ I don’t want to talk about it _ , and he can tell the look which is a  _ this is uncomfortable to me _ . Keith’s not good at saying when something is troubling him, instead he’ll let it build and build until he just  _ leaves _ and Lance has learnt from experience not to get in the way then. The look of panic in Keith’s eyes when Lance had stood in the way of his exit - and the noise he’d made in response had been enough to hit that home hard. He hadn’t needed Shiro to take him aside afterwards and explain it to him - although he’d definitely appreciated it. Having a reason helped Lance - and he just added it to the list of things he had in his head for  _ things that make Keith Keith. _ He’d never admit to anyone that the full title of the list was -  _ things that make Keith (the Keith I love). _ That just was not going to happen.

It’s just that sometimes - Keith kept things to himself that he really shouldn’t.

 

* * *

 

They’d escaped the merchant vessel under heavy fire - the lasers shooting around them (making a  _ pow pow _ noise thank you very much) and Lance ducked as he ran, swinging around to return their fire. Keith had picked up a weapon along the way thankfully, and as they pulled up to the ventilation shaft they’d entered through - and the one that would lead to their cloaked ship - Keith swung around to fire back as Lance leapt through the access panel, hitting the button to activate his helmet. He was relieved when he heard the noises behind him which - hopefully at least - meant that Keith would be following close behind him. 

He doesn’t release the breath he’s holding until they’re both outside the airlock though - until he can see Keith with his own eyes and confirm that no one has followed them out - yet that is anyway. They definitely don’t want to wait around to give their pursuers time to get suited up or make their way to a craft to follow them. Lance waits for Keith to engage his jetpacks and streak towards the hidden spacecraft - another  _ requisitioned _ Galra fighter that Pidge had fitted with concealment technology - before they enter the craft, both disengaging the helmets and airlock on their suits.

Keith was the one with the package, and Lance watched as he pulled the envelope from his storage pocket on his back, and placed it down before taking the controls. Keith maneuvered them away from the merchant shipping vessel with his usual ease. The actions are as smooth as they ever are when Keith is at the controls. Lance has well since moved away from the jealousy he once felt at the way Keith pilots - and he’s self aware enough to realise it was all based in admiration anyway - and maybe a bit of a crush -  and now he can simply appreciate the way that Keith does so effortlessly - the smoothness of his hands, the way his hands looks entirely at home around the controls. In a way it’s almost like Keith feels at home behind the controls - and Lance has come to treasure the small smile that graces his lips when he’s seated and piloting.

The absence of that smile is the thing which tips him off.

It takes him more than a moment before he realises it of course. They’ve put distance between themselves and the ship - enough that Lance thinks they’re probably in the clear - enough that Keith should be starting to relax again, the smile should be on his face.

But it isn’t.

He can almost feel his stomach sink at the realisation of the smiles absence.

“Hey Keith,” he says, angling his words softly, “are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Even Lance knows the words  _ ‘I’m fine’ _ mean anything but.

He takes a moment to study Keith. At the first glance he looks fine, seated as usual in the pilots seat. The dark material from the Blade of Marmora suit which Keith continues to wear is notoriously difficult to spot injuries on. Not for the first time he curses the Blade of Marmora suit. It’s the suit which symbolises so much to Lance, symbolises the time Keith left the Castle of Lion, only to return beaten and depressed, and aware of his Galra heritage. It symbolises all the times Keith left the Castle with the Blades, and it symbolises the battle of Naxzela. 

So yeah - Lance hates the suit. Especially now when it’s blocking his attempts to see if Keith has been injured.

Lance drags his attention from the dark material of the suit, instead looking over Keith and trying to take in the bigger picture. The cockpit to the ex-Galra craft is different to the Lions - it requires less of an extension when piloting - the Lions are amazing but why you need to launch yourself across the cockpit to do anything is beyond Lance - the result is that Keith is positioned closer to the controls than he would be if he were in Red, or Black. It might be Lance’s imagination - but it looks like Keith is huddled even closer to the controls than he usually would be. It looks like he might be leaning forward more than he usually is.

And - is that sweat on his forehead?

Something is definitely wrong - out of place -  _ not fine _ .

Lance doesn’t overthink it - just trusts his instincts and jabs his finger into Keith’s right side, aiming for his ribs.

Keith hisses, and crumples in on his side, dropping his elbow to guard the side Lance had just poked. Lance is torn between wanting to put space between Keith - get out of his reach - and wanting to get closer and help Keith.

In the end he chooses to risk his own bodily safety, stepping forward to kneel at the side of Keith’s seat, bringing his hand up to rub the side of Keith’s arm still jammed into his side, protecting whatever wound Keith has from Lance. He feels guilty, and when Keith opens his eyes and swings his head around to glare at Lance he feels even worse. Keith’s eyes are filled with pain and there are tears at the corners.

“You’re hurt.” He winces at his tone. He was trying to angle it soft, channel Shiro with his words, but they come out sounding far more accusing than he’d like. He’s not trying to start a fight, he just wants to help.

Keith squeezes his eyes shut, breathing in deeply through his teeth, out through his nostrils. He repeats the action twice before answering, “it’s nothing, just a scratch.”

“Tis but a flesh wound?” Lance asks with a grin, aiming for humour, but it falls short when Keith just looks at him with confusion.

“Umm, yes?” Keith says, his voice sounding obviously confused.

It’s not worth trying to explain that reference, Lance decides, so he address the real issue instead. “Okay, well. We need to get you back to the Castle asap. You need treatment dude. You shouldn’t hide this shit.”

“I didn’t want it to affect the mission.” Keith’s voice is quiet on the words, and Lance wants to sigh. Wants to shake him and yell ‘you’re important to me idiot’ or maybe even just wrap him up in his arms and hug him till they get back to safety - like that might protect him from any further hurt.

Instead he lifts his hand up to push his fingers through Keith’s hair, and watches as Keith closes his eyes, head pushing just ever so slightly into the pressure. His boyfriend is such a cat sometimes, he thinks, pushing his lips together tightly to keep the grin he feels to himself.

“It’s already affecting the mission babe,” he says, and Keith’s eyes fly open at that, his eyes full of hurt at Lance’s words, and Lance rushes to continue, to explain, “but you can’t help that. It’s happened and now it’s time for damage control. We need to get back to the Castle and treat it. Pidge can deliver the package later.”

Lance continues to stroke Keith’s hair, hoping it provides some comfort. Eventually Keith nods, the movement brushing softly against Lance’s hand, and this time there’s nothing to stop the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Lance stands up to bring his lips to Keith’s hair, brushing a kiss before whispering, “hey, if you open the comms I’ll tell Allura what happened, and when you’re done in medical I’ll get Pidge to put on a movie and we can chill in the lounge.”

Keith nods again, and Lance stands up fully, before turning to where Allura’s face will soon be appearing. He may not be the best boyfriend in the galaxy, he might not always pick up on Keith’s wants or needs, but sometimes, he feels like he does okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Comments and Kudos give me life  
> Find me at tumblr at [candybarrnerd](http://candybarrnerd.tumblr.com/)


End file.
